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updated January 18, 2010
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Civil Engineering Student Seeks to Expand
Entrepreneurial Horizons as Orr Fellow
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An opportunity to learn important business practices alongside some of
Indiana’s leading entrepreneurs as a Robert D. Orr Fellow was an
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
senior Emily Eddy.
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Budding Entrepreneur: Emily Eddy, a senior civil engineering student,
was among the top Indiana college students selected to participate in the
Robert Orr Entrepreneurial Fellowship program for the next two years. |
That’s why the civil engineering major will spend the next two years working
closely with executives of a high-growth company in a position that
highlights her strengths and passions in order to promote personal growth.
Eddy was one of 27 Indiana college seniors chosen to participate in the
coveted entrepreneurial fellowship program -– from an original list of
nearly 1,000 prospects searching for their first salaried, full-time
position following graduation. The program strives to take this top
collegiate talent and create the future of Indiana business.
“I see entrepreneurship as a way to build upon my background in engineering.
It is very creative problem solving,” says the Amherst, Mass., native. “I’m
a big people person. Entrepreneurship is a lot of face time with the client
. . . I believe I could have a bigger impact in my career with an
entrepreneurial background.”
Eddy will spend the next two years learning from one of the nation’s
fastest-growing companies, Scale Computing. The Greenwood-based startup was
named one of America’s most promising young companies in 2009 by Forbes
magazine, and is making big strides in creating data storage systems for
corporations, hospitals, schools and governments. Scale Computing is led by
Jeff Ready and Scott Loughmiller, 1996 Rose-Hulman computer science
graduates with experience launching and selling two venture capital-backed
technology in the last decade. Ready is chief executive officer and a former
Entrepreneur In Residence with the Indiana Venture Center, while Loughmiller
serves as chief product officer.
“I just want to learn as much as I can about the business side of running a
successful business,” Eddy said. “Being an Orr Fellow at a startup company,
like Scale Computing, has so many built-in advantages. Every day should be
filled with challenges and opportunities. I’m getting in at an exciting time
for the company, as it gets off the ground, and hopefully I will grow my
professional skills and experience as the company prospers.”
Apart from working full-time, Orr Fellows also plan community service
projects, conduct fundraising projects, meet on a monthly basis with
distinguished Indiana business leaders, and take part in social events.
These activities help college graduates to jump-start their careers by
stimulating them professionally and personally.
Ali Sales Roach, a 2003 alumnus of the Orr Fellowship who is now president
of Compendium Blogware, states in a press release: “The Orr Fellowship
offers early-stage professionals an unparalleled chance to see, do,
collaborate, learn and develop. Orr Fellows have a built-in network of peers
and business leaders that expose them to challenges and experiences that may
take decades to gain at other companies."
The Orr Fellowship program has helped keep more than 60 of Indiana's top
graduates in the Indiana workforce.
Eddy became interested in the Orr Fellowship program after completing an
elective course this fall in The Entrepreneur, taught by Tom Mason,
professor of economics and engineering management. She also is earning a
specialized certificate in consulting, has taken courses in engineering
economy and business law, has been a supervisor for Rose-Hulman’s Homework
Hotline tutoring service and is president of the Sustainability Club.
“The more I learned, the more I was intrigued and wanted to participate in
the Orr Fellowship program . . . Now, in my senior year, I was open to
trying different things,” she said.
Eddy is joining 2010 graduates from Indiana University, Purdue University,
University of Notre Dame, DePauw University, Wabash College, Butler
University, Indiana State University, IUPUI, Valparaiso University, Taylor
University and Indiana Wesleyan University among this year’s Orr Fellowship
class. She is one of only four students majoring in engineering on the list.
This marks the fourth straight year that a Rose-Hulman student has been
selected to participate in the Orr Fellowship program.
Find out more about the Orr Fellowship program at
www.orrfellowship.org.
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